Migori Family In Sorrow As Grade 5 Boy Drowns While Attempting To Swim In River

• Young Maccain Okinyi, a Grade Five pupil at St Gabriel’s Primary School in Nyatike, tragically drowned in River Migori
• Okinyi and another boy were reportedly fleeing from Nyatike forest when they attempted to swim across the swollen river
• Following traditional Luo customs, Okinyi’s family waited by the river for three days for his body to resurface
• Local divers found Okinyi’s body downstream, and residents have called for a police investigation into the incident

Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Migori - A family in Nyatike is in agony following the tragic death of their son, Young Maccain Okinyi, who drowned in River Migori.

The Grade Five pupil at St Gabriel’s Primary School in Nyatike was carried away by the river while trying to swim across the river with a friend.

A report by Citizen Digital revealed that Okinyi was to join Grade Six when schools reopened in January next year.

Nyatike residents claimed the young boy had ventured into Nyatike forest alongside his younger brother and another boy.

They said the boys might have been escaping from something when they jumped into the swollen river.

"There are claims that the boys may have been fleeing the forest when two of them jumped into the river in an attempt to swim cross, but one of them unfortunately drowned and was washed downstream," said one of the residents.

Was Okinyi's body retrieved?

As per traditional Luo customs, Okinyi's family pitched tent at the banks of the river for three days as they waited for his body to resurface.

Local divers spent days scouring the depths of the river in search of the body and eventually found him downstream.

"The body was found floating several kilometres downstream, and is currently lying at the mortuary," narrated the resident.

The residents have called on the police to probe the incident amid claims the boys may have been chased from the forest, causing them to panic while fleeing.

5 candidates drown in Uasin Gishu county

Two days before the KCPE and KPSEA examinations kicked off, five candidates who had gone on a field excursion at Amazement Park in Einabkoi constituency drowned while swimming.

The Arap Moi primary school candidates held first positions in their various streams.

"The students we lost were referred to as top cream by the school. They were indices one to five. In their respective classes, they held the first positions. Kwa hivyo ni pigo kubwa sana kwa shule an eneo nzima," said the area MP, Samuel Chepkonga.